Not Rohit Sharma or Rishabh Pant: Pat Cummins, Steve Smith & others reveal their favorite Indian opponents

Australian cricketers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Travis Head, Steve Smith, and Marnus Labuschagne shared their favorite Indian opponents. Interestingly, Team India captain Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant were notably excluded by star Australian cricketers in their selections.

The Pat Cummins-led team will host the five-match Test series against the Rohit Sharma-led side later this year. India won the last four Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series, including two away from home. Australia will be hoping to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15.

The first Test match of the highly anticipated Test series between India and Australia will commence on November 22 in Perth following a day-night Test match in Adelaide from December 6. Australia will host the remaining three matches of the series in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, respectively.

Australian cricketers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Travis Head, Steve Smith, and Marnus Labuschagne have shared their favorite Indian opponents in a recent video released by Star Sports on X (formerly known as Twitter). Their picks sparked some discussions among fans and cricket experts.

The Ultimate Showdown is approaching!🎯

Australian players Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Travis Head & others reveal their favorite Indian opponents ahead of the #ToughestRivalry! #AUSvINDOnStar, 22 Nov Onwards! pic.twitter.com/lRhQtELkug

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 1, 2024

Enjoy My Battles With Shubman Gill - Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins said that he enjoys his battles with Shubman Gill. Mitchell Starc revealed the reason behind enjoying battles with Virat Kohli. Starc stated that they've played against each other in several matches. The left-arm pacer stated that he has managed to dismiss Kohli a couple of times.

"I enjoy my battles with Shubman Gill," Cummins said.

"Look, I enjoy battles with Virat Kohli. It's because we've played a lot of cricket against one another. I always have some good battles. I've managed to get him out once or twice, and he's no doubt scored a fair few runs against me. It's always a good contest and one we both enjoy," Starc said.

Ravichandran Ashwin Is Just A Very Good Bowler - Steve Smith

Travis Head and Steve Smith named Ravichandran Ashwin as a challenging opponent. Head said that Ashwin consistently troubles batters and added that it’s rewarding to perform against him. Smith praised Ashwin's skill set, noting his ability to deliver various types of deliveries.

"I enjoy my battles with Ashwin. He's all over you all the time. He's a competitive beast. It's always nice to try to play well against the best bowlers," Head said.

"I enjoy my battles with Ashwin. He's just a very good bowler. Very skilful. Can bowl different balls different ways with different scenes to whatever the conditions entail. And he's a quality performer. Has been for a long time," Smith said.

Enjoy My Battles With Mohammed Siraj - Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne revealed that he and Mohammed Siraj were at the cricket academy back in 2015-16. Labuschagne lauded Siraj for his passion, energy, and love for the game, which makes their on-field battles enjoyable.

"I enjoy my battles with Mohammed Siraj. For many reasons. We actually were at the academy in 2015-16 to see his career go in that direction. He's got great passion, great energy and great love for the game," Labuschagne said.

Also read: Rajeev Shukla openly rejects Virat Kohli's old suggestion of '5 Test centers' amid Kanpur Test chaos